Wednesday, December 22, 2010

The Twin Cities in Motion people like running, but they don't like the cold (sounds like a Silly Willy statement, doesn't it?). They asked, on Facebook, for the statements that help motivate cold weather runners get out and onto the road. Their list? Here it is, with the contributors:

Monday, December 20, 2010

NPR notes that we've got a treat in store tonight--a lunar eclipse that will render the moon a "big red ball." It will be visible throughout North America, which means, if we can glimpse the sky tonight, we'll get a look. NOAA says no:

Tonight: A slight chance of snow before 9pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 8. South wind 7 to 16 mph becoming west northwest. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

But maybe we'll have a red tinge to the cloud cover. In any case, maybe it's worth a little lost sleep.

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Suppose you get that bone-headed email from an angry student who's unhappy with the result of their decision to skip studying, go party, and sleep through the final. Perhaps written with a lingering hangover. You might be tempted to fire back with force, venting your irritation with the students' apparent sense of entitlement. You know you can't send that ranting email! So, here's a remedy, a gentle reminder, much like spell check, that watches for tone in your email messages in Outlook. It's ToneCheck, one of the concepts featured in the NYTimes Magazine's review of some of the most interesting ideas from 2010. The list includes such things as the "bra mask" and a guitar that stays in tune.

Friday, December 17, 2010

Google's got a new tool for free use by scholars or anyone with an interest in searching through thousands of books from 1800 to 2000 for words and phrases of interest to them. The image here is my comparison of the words "memory" and "imagination" over those 200 years. Note the rise of memory! It's worth noting that interest rises in an item as it appears that it is fading from use or the culture. Goodbye, memory!

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

The guys at CNET are touting a free software package, iCare Data Recovery Software 4.0, that offers a robust data recovery package for all types of data storage devices. Here's what their own statement is:

While most users never think about data-recovery software until they need it--like, say, after a corrupted hard drive has cost them years' worth of family photos--we know you'll want to make like the Boy Scouts and be prepared with this freebie.

But move on it. The software, usually priced at $69.95, is only free until December 25.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

My students in Composition II at Dakota State University have finished up their multimedia essays and are watching the creations and preparing for writing about them tomorrow morning. Check them out and feel free to offer praise. The site is here: http://compdsu.blogspot.com/

Monday, December 13, 2010

Before I could walk, I cruised with my parents and my older brother and sister up into Wyoming--Hyattville, specifically--to meet my Great-Grandma, Winnie Hollywood, the lady that raised my dad and his sister. There's a lot fewer creases in the skin in those days, before I had reached my first birthday, while now each year adds a few more bulges in some places, wrinkles in others.

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Northwest wind at 16, temp at zero. That's better than yesterday, when things were much worse. The wife and I did get out and about just a little--some grocery shopping, some lunch at El Vaquero, and mailing a package. I went out again myself for another shopping spree (groceries only), and a stop at my mom's, but that was plenty for a very wintery day, and I was glad to come home, stoke the fire, and settle back in for work on some Christmas gifts and school.

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Our first big winter storm has arrived, bringing wind right now at 35mph, with gusts of 43mph, temperatures of 8 degrees, combining for a wind chill of -17 degrees. Our graduation ceremonies at Dakota State University, scheduled for 10:30 today, have been postponed to 1:00 tomorrow, and for good reason. It's a good day to stay home and watch the weather. If I do go out, good thing I have my new hat!

Wednesday, December 08, 2010

The news this morning from China would serve as a wake-up call if enough people aren't groggy enough from checking the new Facebook layout to see what that third-grade pal had for breakfast. These Shanghainese kids are staking their claim to be the best-educated students in the world, according to a test, the Program for International Student Assessment, that was first administered there this year, following its use in countries across the world. An article on the NYTimes describes how these 15 year old students topped the list in reading, math, and science scores by a significant margin. Response from American officials was clear:

“We have to see this as a wake-up call,” Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said in an interview on Monday.

“I know skeptics will want to argue with the results, but we consider them to be accurate and reliable, and we have to see them as a challenge to get better,” he added. “The United States came in 23rd or 24th in most subjects. We can quibble, or we can face the brutal truth that we’re being out-educated.”

What next? More cuts in education for South Dakotans and other states throughout the country.

Tuesday, December 07, 2010

So here's an interesting idea: Take a book, the paper kind, that someone else has written, and then cut away words from the pages of that book to leave another story, your own story. That's the concept behind Jonathan Safran Foer's book, Tree of Codes, which uses the novel The Street of Crocodiles, by Bruno Schultz. Here's a video of Foer talking about, and showing, his creation. Double-click for full screen.

My students are working on multimedia presentations of an essay they're writing. My email brought me a message from Poets and Writers Magazine, and this video, not of an essay but a poem, is a powerful reminder of what the combination of effective words and telling images can do. Double-click for full screen.

Saturday, December 04, 2010

Yesterday as the wife and I cruised in to work, she exclaimed, "Wow, look at that snowman! It's bigger than that house!" Because I was keeping my eyes on the road, I had missed it. "Where?" I asked, beginning to gawk where she was pointing. I didn't see this monster snowman, amazed that someone had managed to scrape together enough snow for even a LITTLE guy, since we have only the barest of snowfall. I couldn't imagine how someone could have built a snowman that high. Heavy equipment in the back yard? As close as it was to my class time, I had to drive around the block to see it. "Where?" I asked again. When she pointed, I saw she was referring to a some big metal hoops with lights on them. "That's not a snowman," I pouted. She was right, of course, sort of; it was a big metal light-encrusted representation of a snowman, bigger than the house. It looks much better at night, when it's all lit up, as here.

It's about that time when a person has to drive around in the evening a bit to see just what sort of extreme craziness some folks have about decorating their yards, houses, and selves for the Christmas season. Here, so far, is the winner of Madison's most extreme home make over, complete with audio soundtrack. Yes, we tuned in and watched from our auto, even as Madison's law enforcement cruised by, keeping the impulse to riot in check.

Friday, December 03, 2010

My cross country coach used to tell us a key to doing well in races was "finishing hard." I remind my students of that in the closing weeks of each semester, encouraging them to do their best work, to put the polish on assignments and keep steady pressure on to shine. It makes a difference.
I was reminded of that by a story this morning in The New York Times, heralding a young woman, Holland Reynolds, who crawled across the finish line after collapsing five yards from the tape. She wasn't in first, but her team needed her to finish in order to win the championship. She did. See the race and the finish here.

Monday, November 22, 2010

Winter has set in, which means it's time for the big old house to tap into the supplemental heater--the big heavy soapstone wood stove that helps fend off the big bills and the deep cold. I've got my chimney clean, so we're ready for winter.

Read that right. This baby will burn up to ten hours, no joke. Jam it full, close the damper, go to bed, and there will be heat and coals waiting in the morning. Throw on a few more logs and go again. We're in our third year with this lump of coal, and as far as we're concerned, it's a diamond.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

We met this afternoon as an English Department, our first official meeting outside the University this semester. We got work done on a wide variety of fronts, made plans for future work, and enjoyed food and drink, including soup, bread, pork pies, and cake. A good meeting all around, with good folks and true.

I just try to make sure my bill payments are smaller than my income and I'm putting away money for a rainy day and retirement. But the NY Times gave me a chance today to take a shot at reducing the deficit. Not easy. Take a shot, and then go back to ranting. Here.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

It's the day we celebrate our Veterans, no matter how they serve. This year, I can't help wishing that we had a better sense of why we have young people in harm's way, with a stronger commitment to bring their danger to an end.

There's an old-timer that's come to live with me, not a veteran of the wars, but a long-term retiree that I think will enjoy some traveling time, maybe not soon, but eventually. Welcome, Mr. Porsche. He's number 914.

Tuesday, November 09, 2010

Having made a visit to a new, hip Michael Mina restaurant in San Francisco, Sara Deresan raves about the porcelain tableware:

My favorite of all the plates were solid ones made of off-white porcelain made from California earth (no less) by Jered Nelson who has a studio in old gas station Berkeley. The ones the former South Dakota native did for Mina have a Heath simplicity to them. They also speak to the Japanese aesthetic Mina is trying to bring to the table. Nelson has also made plenty more for Mina, from cups to bowls.

Nelson's studio is open to the public on Saturday and Sundays from 12 to 6 pm. Also, mark your calendar for Nelson's holiday studio party from 11 am to 6 pm, Saturday, December 4. (2720 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley).

Sunday, November 07, 2010

I love to see the elite runners clicking along at a bruising pace in the top marathons. It's one thing to be back in the pack, high-fiving the kids standing on the curb with their hands outstretched. It's another to be in the zone, your mind focused, pumping along like a well-tuned two-cylinder engine, racking up mile after mile. So it's nice to sit for a few minutes on a Sunday afternoon and watch those well-tuned runners step lightly through New York, reeling in the rewards of their months of training. Kudos to the Kenyan woman and the Ethiopian man who won (in his debut marathon), and a high-five to the American Shalane Flanagan, who followed Edna Kiplagat, to get second in her own debut. Check out the photos in the NY Times.

Wednesday, November 03, 2010

Well, we'll see how South Dakota fares with a full slate of Republicans in charge, from the top down. Who can stand in their way? Maybe the GOP can put a plan in place to bring the budget to heel. On the other hand, if things don't straighten out, there's still the Obama ogre to blame. For Lake County, the lone Democrat success was Bobbi Janke for auditor. Perhaps she's got a survival secret she can share. In District 8, Dem. Mitch Fargen also fared well, now sharing duties with Rep. Patricia Stricherz.

Tuesday, November 02, 2010

I enjoy casting my ballot, seeing folks at the polling place, and watching for how it all turns out, even though I get a little anxious when things seem dicey. But I look things over, make my best decisions, and make the marks that I hope will carry through to electing the folks who will do the best job. Voting done, we watch and wait for the results.

Monday, November 01, 2010

Here's a picture that I hadn't seen before, one of my grandfather's threshing machine and the tractor that ran it. Note the long belt from the steel-wheeled tractor to the thresher, almost buried under the pile, the trailer standing by at the ready. It's a process in motion, with the thresher spewing into the pile.

Left for dead, in the shelter of an old barn, lost, abandoned, given up and alone, this old Dixon Zeeter found its way to my garage, where, with the tenacity of Dr. Frankenstein, yours truly brought it back to life. And here I was thinking I would just be robbing the engine off the even-older Dixon and giving this one a transplant. How right for Halloween!

Friday, October 29, 2010

It's scary enough that elections are upon us and we're handing our selection of leaders to those who would be swayed by frightening proclamations from both sides of the aisles. While some were either watching a World Series game (Giants 9, Rangers 0) or listening to local candidates make their final pitches, a few of us were gathered together for that fall ritual of decorating cookies. We'll have to trust the Madville Times or the Daily Leader to find out what faces appeared at the forum and what came out of them.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

We've got to thank our weather gods for holding off for so long, but the past few days have been a reminder that winter is at our doorstep, what with the wind howling non-stop for several days, bringing the temps down dramatically. This morning, crappy as both the wife and I are both feeling, we have to face the prospect of going out into the wind AND a bit of snow. Crud.

Monday, October 25, 2010

The wife likes to party with other folks, especially those who appreciate a good piece of cake. These two fit the bill, patiently awaiting their chunk of the love-rocket cake, ice-cream, and raspberry topping. Yum!

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Michael Mina is a super-duper chef who owns or operates restaurants from Washington, D.C., to San Francisco, and when he wanted a cool new look for a new SF eatery, he turned to brother Jered and his pottery skills. He's the fellow on the right in the video below. Way to go, Jered.

A recent article in the Sioux Falls Argus Leader points out that 62% support the smoking ban that's on the ballot in November. I suspect that even more would support the raspberries that somehow are still ripening on an abandoned farm west of Lake Herman.

Monday night (I think it was . . . ) we had a little group over, where we enjoyed some great 4-H beef, some butternut squash, fresh from the summer's bounty, and this awesome pie that the lovely wife baked with her own two hands. Participants were impressed with not only the taste of the pie, but also the LOOK! RIP, pie.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

On a bright, sunshiny day in South Dakota in October, with a light tinge of fall in the air, but not too much, it's a great day to head out to where there's good ash available. Turn some of into sawdust, some into twigs, and take the rest home for firewood. It's like sunshine in a log.

Terry Ryan and I headed west in our wood-haulers and loaded them down with our winter's warmth.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

My colleague and new faculty member, who is making waves at DSU as a friendly, well-informed guy, as well as an accomplished musician, is playing this Thursday night at Mochavino's on Egan Avenue in Madison. Check him out!

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Younger son Casey made the long journey Monday from Minneapolis to Madison as a passenger, then the journey back from Madison to Minneapolis as a driver. How fitting, Columbus Day, to be discovering the Minnesota landscape, piloting his own craft, fearful, perhaps, of falling off the edge into darkness. His steed--the sword, the dirk, the dagger, the rapier, the cutlass, the blade. Or, in French, Le Sabre! It's a 1991, a bit the worse for wear, but via a good DSU student, he's now the proud(?) owner of this, his 4th automobile. And he's only 20!

But he survived his longest trip yet on his own, 260 miles or so through the wilds of Dakota and Minnesota territory.

Here's a photo of a young man browsing my showing at the Brick House Bash given by the Madison Area Arts Council last Friday night. They were having a show of "Dirty Laundry," a collection of drafts, sketches, odds and ends illustrating the artistic process. I gave them some copies of pages out of my notebooks, along with poem drafts and comments. And rejection and acceptance letters on publication attempts.

We loaded up on pasta at Buca di Beppo’s with DW, JW, KW, April, Chester, Casey, and his girl Christine. We were joined by a couple, friends of Chester and April.

We went to the stage version of Louise Erdrich’s book “The Master Butcher’s Singing Club” at The Guthrie with April, Chester, Casey, and his girl Christine.

We survived a night of industrial-strength snoring from is, externally, at least, a fairly small dog.

I ran the Twin Cities Marathon on Sunday morning, finishing in 3:45:22, on a beautiful day for running. Number 1726, if you're interested in splits, times, or photos. I was impressed with the cool stats they offer up now. For example, I moved up in the pack from being in 3078th place after 3 miles to 2029th place at the end.

April, Chester, and the wife drove around town, cheering me on at various spots along the way.

DW, JW, and KW also picked a spot near their home and cheered (posting this pic of me enroute).

We enjoyed some well-deserved lunch at the Highland Grill in Minneapolis.

We drove back, stopping at Jim’s Apple Orchard near Belle Plaines on 169, where we picked up some kickin’ root beer and some apples.

We checked out the closed bridge south of Belle Plaines, just because you can never be too sure about those “Road Closed to Thru Traffic” signs.

We drove back through Belle Plaines to get on a road with good bridges.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

On Sunday afternoon a brother and sister, Dean and Colleen Holst (I'm not sure of Colleen's married name) stopped by with these pictures, which featured our house, front and back porch especially. The upper shot shows Dean in his little sailor outfit in 1935 on the rock pillar in our front yard.

The lower photo shows Dean and his cousin Marlene Baker, probably in the mid-1940's, with his grandmother Coppersmith and her two sisters on the back porch (now gone) of our house.

I love getting these old photos of our house and the people who lived and visited here.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

We took a bit more leisurely approach to our day today, after the activities of the past week, culminating in our prize-winning float and a trip last night to Sioux Falls to see Dave Eggers, the writer, and Valentino Achak Deng, the subject of Eggers' "autobiography" of him. It was the highlight of the South Dakota Festival of Books.

The wife zipped over to Winfred to her folks' place while yours truly spent some time grading papers, and she came back with this sign of fall--a collection of gourds that her dad found hidden in the cow lot. A little veggie oil, and these things look ready for the hearth!

I also entertained some folks who knew our old house as children, when their grandmother, Christina Coppersmith (if I remember rightly) lived here back in the 1930's and 40's. They brought some pictures and offered some comments on how the place has changed since they knew it.

The work our College of Arts and Sciences team did over the past week on our Whack-a-Miner float paid off on Saturday with a "Most Beautiful" win at the DSU homecoming parade down Egan Avenue.

We overcame various difficulties (a near decapitation of our Trojan, a dead battery, a runaway Ford pickup, misplaced keys, frosted fingers, water damage, spelling problems, etc, etc.) to emerge victorious! It was fun working with my colleagues, especially Dr. Kurt Kemper, history prof and float-building guru, who was the fire that kept the pot perking.

Our float featured helmeted miner heads popping up while a whacking Trojan, with shocking sword and shield action, pounded them back down (if you could just use your imagination a little).

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Reports from Lake Herman show the gophers have it worse, but east-side Madison isn't exactly dry. Whoosh is right! No comments on the video, so hum along ("Proud Mary?") and provide your own commentary. Dang! Wet!

Update: The video is now available! Complete with a very observant dog, and a person do what we're warned not to--driving through a stream running across the road.

More rain. Last night the rain came down in sheets again, with rain and thunderstorms earlier in the day as well. The ditches out in front of our house were filled with water, water running over the road, water running down the driveway, water in our basement. Not a lot, but still a source of misery. But where are four inches of rain supposed to go, on top of the rain that's already fallen (including the four inches we got overnight a few weeks ago)? Most of it heads down the ditch, down the street, into the storm drains, into the streams and lakes and rivers. But when those waterways are too crowded, too much of it lingers, invading places we count on to stay dry. Things will dry out, but it won't be too soon.